Augustana students gain real world experience Down Under

2009 Jan 21

Rock Island, Ill. -Nearly 30 Augustana students will spend the next three months working as interns in Sydney, Australia at various businesses to gain valuable job-related experience. The international study program known as "Augustralia term" matches students in a variety of jobs in Sydney to work independently for seven weeks and immerse them in the new culture.
The term begins with a five-week on-campus internship seminar that includes two classes detailing Australian culture and intercultural communication. During the remaining seven-weeks, students intern full-time in four-days and use the remaining time to explore Australia. The experience offers Augustana students a chance to apply what they have learned in the classroom and reflect on how it will benefit them in a future job or graduate school.
"This is a very independent program. The students travel together with no faculty from Augustana," said Karen Petersen, business administration and faculty advisor to the program. Students do receive on-side supervision by their internship coordinator, the Centers for Academic Programs Abroad (www.capa.org) and Augustana faculty or staff visit students about half-way through the internship.
Students stay at a five-star serviced apartment complex in the Moore Park/Waterloo precinct of Sydney along with Australian and other international students. The city of Sydney is the largest metropolitan area in Australia and is located on southeastern coast. (www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/).
"The students will tour the beautiful Blue Mountains, a short drive outside of Sydney as well as the Sydney Opera House, museums, markets, beaches, the Olympic stadium, and then travel to other areas in Australia. This would include Cairns, where they can snorkel or dive the Great Barrier Reef; Melbourne, and Darwin. They may travel to New Zealand for spring break," said Petersen. Students return home March 7.
For additional information contact Kamy Beattie at 309-794-7721 or kamybeattie@augustana.edu.
You can also read about the experiences by logging onto www.augustana.edu/blogs/international/ for blog postings from four Augustana students.
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